Cyber Attacks to Anticipate in 2018

According to Billionaire investor Warren Buffett, the cyber threats are a huge risk of concern to mankind and actually bigger than the threat of nuclear weapons. Therefore Governments and businesses should be concerned about their fate regarding exposure to cybersecurity. In an effort to do so, it is important to consider what to anticipate in the near future so as to stay on top of your security. Here are some of the top cybersecurity predictions for the year 2018.

Ransom Will Be One of the Most Dangerous Cyber Threats

Computer screen with ransomware attack alert in red and a man keying on keyboard in a dark room ideal for online security and digital crime

The number of malware continued to increase throughout the year 2017 and this is expected to double in 2018. Some of the Ransomware threats we have experienced are WannaCry, NotPetya, and Bad Rabbit. These have demonstrated the possible dangers and serious impacts that companies and governments can expect.

Some of the companies that were seriously affected by these threats include transportation giant Maersk and FedEx who reported massive losses as a result.

In 2018, it is expected that WannaCry and NotPetya will leverage NSA exploit so as to improve their spread and also infect as many systems as possible. The authors of these threats are obviously busy trying to make them more efficient and hard to detect.

Cryptocurrencies Will Face Great Threat From Cybercriminals

Bitcoin continues to rise in value as we tend towards the year 2018, and therefore this is an attractive area that cybercriminals will be looking to rip from. The hackers have already started targeting people involved in cryptocurrencies and this should sound like a serious warning. Initial Coin Offerings are some of the areas that recent cybercriminals are targeting. This is in attempts to hijack funds and buy tokens. Statistics from the last few months show that 4 ICO`s were targeted by cyber criminals and people lost millions of dollars. Further, security firms have detected several malware practices targeting cryptocurrency users and the websites are the targeted avenues.

IoT Devices Will Become Dangerous Weapon

Most of the cyber attacks will be instigated through the IoT devices which are already under unceasing threats. Lack of security by design and poor security are some of the factors that have contributed to successful attacks on these devices. Corero a security firm recently published a report showing that the number of DDoS attacks has doubled in 2017 and this is as a result of unsecured IoT devices. Therefore in 2018, this could be ended to become more serious as attackers develop sophisticated attack methods.

Cyberbullying is an Emergency and Will Be Experienced in 2018

This is the practice of using technology to bully a person and it is already an alarming emergency. It is apparently one of the most dangerous activities. Ther teenagers are the most affected and apparently instigators in most cases. This will be on the rise in 2018. Therefore, Governments and institutions such as Universities and high schools should embrace to face this adequately. Parents too should be ready to offer to counsel to their teens.

In the year 2018, the number of cyber attacks will continue to grow. This is in every industry and the most vulnerable will be health, energy, retail, and the finance sectors. The best organizations and Governments can do is anticipate these threats and prepare in advance. Therefore hire Security consultants to help in analyzing the security threats on your infrastructure. This analysis should cover both software and hardware. For expert advice, you can contact us on http://www.belnis.com/contact-us/. We are experts in matters of cybersecurity for Government and the private sector. Call us today.

All big companies have their own IT departments to select, install, and maintain technology, train employees, and provide desktop support. However, small businesses lack the necessary resources to manage technology. What do they do? Well, for starters, they need to adopt a more effective approach to small business IT management. And this becomes possible by hiring managed service providers (MSPs) that deliver most services remotely, thereby reducing the cost of IT management.

Develop a Strong IT Management Strategy

Small businesses should focus on keeping their computer systems healthy and operational. However, that alone is not enough. They also require new solutions for business growth. But to assess whether your small business IT is going to miss out on the latest and the best technology requires expertise, knowledge, and a commitment of resources and time. Thus, it is important for small business to hire someone who can analyze these issues and make necessary decisions or recommendations.

Look After IT Implementation and Integration

Small businesses should pay careful attention to new solutions. The wrong choice and your business ends up with incompatible app software versions, operating systems, and models. So, small business IT requires someone who can integrate the new systems with their existing setup, and ensure that everything works well together. This is the only way to guarantee that they get the most out of their technology.

Fill in the Knowledge Gap

A small business often lacks thorough knowledge about servers and systems. A lot of them think that they are well aware of the technology they need to run their business, and all they need to do is acquire and install it. But small business IT is more than that; you must actively consider solutions to improve IT management in your company.

What Can Managed Service Providers Do?

A lot of small business IT management activities can be performed remotely online. MSPs provide different outsourced IT services, such as help desks and routine maintenance. Thanks to their remote service packages, the monthly cost to maintain your IT drops considerably. Thus, MSPs present an efficient solution and a lot of small businesses are opting to hire these services for managing things such as backups and software patches.

Once a company starts taking a more strategic approach towards small business IT and tries to figure out the best way to help the business instead of coming up with ways to keep the systems up and running, that is when the company usually gains an edge over the competition.

A spike in Internet traffic is a good thing. It means your website is garnering the right kind of attention from users. But a rapid uptick in website visitors can cause your site to shut down. The servers are unable to take the strain and buckle under the pressure of so many Internet users trying to access your web page. However, a CDN or content delivery network can help you deal with this sort of a website crash.

What is CDN?

A CDN makes it possible for multiple customers to access your website at the same time from anywhere in the world. Moreover, it allows them to download the necessary content quickly.

When Can You Use a CDN?

Online businesses with an extensive customer base spread over a vast geographical area should ideally use CDNS. So should websites with predictable traffic patterns. Moreover, if your website is doing a promotion or contest that is likely to draw huge crowds and potentially cause a website crash, you should avail a CDN. Some websites lag behind the competition because they are not fast enough. These websites can benefit from a CDN. The threat of cyber attacks or denial of service can also be avoided with the help of a CDN.

When Do You Not Require a CDN?

Businesses that cater mainly to local customers do not require a CDN. Moreover, if you lack a global audience or the revenue of your website is not connected directly to its performance, you could do without a CDN.

Selecting the Right CDN for Your Business

It all depends upon the location your network serves. For example, if your network caters to the US market, you need a CDN that has a strong presence in America for the purpose of stability. You should also check whether the CDN supports your application and meets your goals. Plus, when you’ve decided upon a couple of providers, ask them if they are willing to perform a head-to-head test using your content and application.

Cost of Using CDN

For sites that deal with video delivery, they are charged by CDNs according to the GBT, which is the number of gigabytes transferred. Some CDNs even charged on the basis of Mbps, which means megabytes per second. The rates differ for advertising applications and shopping sites. For them, the cost is dependent upon the number of page views, transactions, and other metrics. The cost of each transaction request or data delivery is minimal, but when you have thousands of people visiting your website, it can add up to a lot of money very quickly.

Speed of Implementing CDN

Do you wish to avail the benefits of CDN for your website? Well, then start with a good provider, and once you figure out all the details, it only takes a few minutes to switch it on. But in the case of complicated applications, this process can take anywhere between a couple of days to a few weeks to configure. So, it’s best if you give yourself a minimum of one month before you go for CDN service. This will give you enough time to determine your requirements and understand how you can avoid a website crash at the best price.

The WannaCry attack this year exposed some serious chinks in the armor of numerous organizations. More than 200,000 companies across 150 countries fell prey to this cyber onslaught, leaving others to wonder if they too were under risk. The truth is, almost everyone is susceptible to a ransomware attack. Unless you’ve taken serious precautions and adopted the best virus protection, you can become a victim. In order to do that, however, you must understand what ransomware is in the first place.

What is Ransomware?

Ransomware is software – a malicious one that infects a system and locks all the files on it. In order to unlock them, users must meet the monetary demands of the hacker. While ransomware attacks have happened before, the sheer magnitude and intensity of the WannaCry attacks made businesses sit up and take notice. What WannaCry did was exploit a problem with the Windows XP OS on computers and laptops. This prompted Microsoft, the parent company of Windows to release a fix for this security flaw soon after. However, the risks are far from over. Ransomware still remains an active threat, and according to cyber security groups around the world, it is only a matter of time before another assault takes place.

While it is true that you can never anticipate a ransomware attack, it is possible to prepare for it and that is exactly why you should consider serious virus protection.

Understanding the Warning Signs

Almost all the ransomware attacks occurred on systems that run Windows OS. So, if you or your business are in the habit of using Windows operating systems, the threat is quite real for you.

Common Methods of Protection

According to authorities in the UK and US, the right steps to take for deterring ransomware attacks are:

Always ensure that your computer has the newest software updates with the help of Windows Update.

Make sure the virus protection on your machine is updated. Scan your system for signs of malicious programs. You should also allow frequent auto-scans to prevent any mishaps.

All data on your systems must be backed up so that you are not at a loss when your machine gets held for ransom.

If you are a large organization, you must make sure that all incoming and outgoing emails are scanned to prevent the opening of malicious and harmful attachments.

Alert your employees about the right virus protection measures, and make sure they are able to distinguish between regular emails, scams, and malicious links.

Run a few “penetration tests” to check how your network security holds up in the event of a ransomware attack.

Make sure any software you download is from a trusted source.

What to Do in Case You are Already Under Attack?

Cybersecurity firms suggest that you should never give in to the demands of the hackers, because it would only encourage them. Plus, there is no guarantee that they will hand over your files in the first place.

Small and medium-sized businesses need all the help they can get when it comes to saving money. Owing to budgetary constraints, it makes sense that these firms would want a solution that offers them greater computational speeds as well as efficiency in exchange for lower amounts of energy and money. Enter cloud computing.

The technology has completely revolutionized the business landscape, allowing small firms to access a wide range of resources that could only be afforded by larger firms before. With just a web browser and an Internet connection, a company could tap into services and software as and when required in exchange for a monthly fee. Cloud computing help your business gain access to everything, from customer relationship management systems to data backup, thereby saving money in the process.

But to get a clearer idea of the extent to which cloud computing help save your finances, read below:

Zero Upfront Investments

If you plan a move to the cloud, the process is smoother and cheaper than you think. There are no upfront costs involved since most of the necessary IT infrastructure is handled by the cloud service provider. Of course, you have to pay a fixed rate but that is almost negligible. Usually, if you were to run your own servers, the expenses would increase exponentially due to the high costs of management and maintenance. However, cloud computing help with this issue by ensuring your ability to access various resources, like utility services, for a nominal fee.

Limited Workforce

Worried about spending too much of your business budget on employees? Well, cloud computing help you by eradicating the need for the same. The technology does away with the need for costly human resources, and as a result, you no longer have to worry about benefits, salaries, and employment costs. In the end, you pay less. Your own staff is left free to direct as you wish, preferably to other core aspects of your business like applications development.

Reduced Power Expenses

Running a cloud network requires a minimal amount of power, and it is more efficient than setting up a house IT system in-house. Improved utilization of your hardware increases power efficiency. If you were running your own data center, the full extent of your servers might not have been fully realized and it would have unnecessarily added to the bottom line. But with cloud computing, that is no longer something to worry about. The cloud assures full hardware utilization, which means you pay less for systems used.

Cloud computing has become increasingly popular among SMBs, and with good reason. If you’re still on the fence about this technology, you can rest assured that what little you invest in it, you will get a lot more out of it in return. In the end, you are the one who benefits the most.

The PC you have at home and work requires regular maintenance. Otherwise, their performance suffers, and they may slow down and crash. Now, maintenance doesn’t necessarily mean calling an IT professional over to take care of performance, loss of data, and system crashes; some of them you can handle yourself. In order to avoid such problems in the future, follow the PC care tips given below

Keep Your PC Physically Clean

Cleaning your PC is important. Wipe the monitor often, remove all dirt and dust from the keyboard, and make sure the mouse remains clean. Too much dirt in the ventilation areas can increase the PC temperature, leading to poor device performance. Make sure there are no liquids near the AC. Sure, some PC care tips involve cleaning the system with liquid but you must spray the solution onto a cloth instead of spraying it on peripherals and monitors. Always ensure your DVD or CD drive is neat and spotless as it can gather dust just like other components of the system.

Update Your PC

Every PC needs to be updated from time to time; dismissing them can actually harm your system. Operating System (OS) updates improve security and fix bugs so that the PC performance becomes more efficient. Keep an eye out for updates and install them once they arrive. You can just enable automatic download and the necessary files will be installed on the system.

Use an Anti-Virus

Ask anyone for PC care tips, and the first thing they’re going to suggest is an antivirus. Running a program like that on your system occasionally protects it against the ill-effects of spyware and viruses. Automatic virus scan can even be switched on if the manual scanning doesn’t seem to provide the proper results or takes too long. Like other programs on your system, antiviruses too much updated regularly.

Never Download Randomly

If you’re in the habit of downloading various software, music files, and movies of the Internet, make sure you do it from reliable sources. Otherwise, it may cause a lot of harm to your system. Make sure all the software is downloaded from trustworthy sources. Take care never to download and install unknown software programs.

Remove Programs You Do Not Need from Your System

Have you been using your PC for a long time now? If yes, chances are there are programs and files that exist which you’re not aware of or have forgotten about. Take some time to remove or uninstall these kinds of documents and files from your computer. This will not only free up more storage space on your system but also improve your PC processing.

Proper PC care tips are important to ensure your system works properly for a long time. Check all parts of your system occasionally, and take the necessary measures.

Businesses nowadays are investing greatly in big data analytics to provide better services and get more profits in return. Big data plays a “big” role in improving business decisions as it helps figure out competitive advantages over rival organizations, leading to greater revenue and more effective marketing. However, working with big data can be tricky, especially due to the sheer size and volume of data available. However, the seven tips given below can greatly help with the process:

Small Beginnings

There are a lot of unknowns when an organization works with data it has never handled before. There might be some confusion regarding the valuable elements of the data, the existence of quality issues, and the best metrics that can be generated. So, the time and cost required for successful big data analysis are often difficult to estimate. Thus, a small start works best. You should try and define some relatively simple analytics first that do not require much of your time or data to run.

Never Try to Change the Business

Understand how your business works, gauge the way people function daily within the organization and think about how big data can be used to improve the same. While this is a simple process, it also means forgetting about the more complicated technological aspects until you’re familiar with the workings of the business.

Understand the Scope

The more expansive the organization, the more complex its data requirements – keep this in mind while estimating the scope. You can make the process easier by speaking to the parties affected by the analysis. Discussions will help the CIO determine what resources are needed to get the job done, and also put the same in writing so no one expects anything more out of the project than what was previously discussed.

Focus on the Small to Make It Big

Big data analytics uses unstructured data sources that cannot be accommodated by traditional data warehouses. Moreover, the traditional data warehouses might be ill-equipped to handle the processing demands of big data. Thus, a new segment of big data technology has cropped up and is currently being used in various big data analytics environments. You need to understand that big data is composed of different, smaller datasets, and each of these datasets is capable of providing niche value. Once you bring all these datasets together, you get big value.

Understand the outcome of big data on your business as well as the analytic capabilities needed to get these outcomes before you can expect to succeed with big data. However, once you achieve that, sky’s the limit.

Businesses have understood the advantages of having a solid social media presence for both customer service and long-term marketing. However, these companies also need to realize the social media security issues, and how an employee’s own presence on networking sites can increase the business’ security woes. For this reason, some companies already prevent internal access while others do not allow employees to have any sort of corporate association outside the workplace on social networking platforms. These steps might seem unnecessarily harsh, but they make sense considering what an employee says publicly outside work often affects the organization’s reputation.

However, following the steps for social media security given below a company can avoid security issues:

Include Social Media Security in Your Company Policy

A company will find it easier to regulate employee access and set rules for suitable behavior by drafting social media policies. These policies need to specifically mention what an employee can and cannot say, including abusive language, slang, negative words etc. It is also the responsibility of the employer to ensure social media security by training their employees on the proper use of words.

Think About a No-Employment Disclosure

Employers can request their employees to leave the employment status on their social networking profile blank. An employer represents his/her organizations around the clock, and so what he/she says either on the job or during their free time has a direct impact on the image and reputation of the employer. In some cases, the words of the employee can be used against the company.

Employees Get Limited Access to Social Networks

Social networking sites are plentiful on the Internet, and while some of them are more or less appropriate, others are not very secure. If an employee is associated with a social network that is not very reputable and is known for off-color content, it might affect your company in a negative way later. So, make sure your social media security policy mentions which kind of social networking platforms are acceptable.

Make Sure IT Personnel are Suitably Trained

In a company, procedures and policies happen from the top down. IT personnel and managers should be tasked with managing the technology required to get employees up to speed with the risks of using social media in a negligent manner, and setting suitable leadership examples.

Never Totally Block Social Media

Removing access to social media entirely exposes a company to other business security issues. Employees who wish to access social networks will do it in any way, and when something like this happens, they might bypass firewalls, making the company’s network increasingly vulnerable.

The variety of roles that information plays within the corporate structure has piled up the pressure on IT teams. With a greater participation of social, could and now even wearable technologies, the IT landscape is changing at a never-before rate. With this rapid transformation, the role of “smart hands” in managed IT services has become more non-negotiable than ever.

And it is not as if the scope of managed IT services has taken off just yesterday. They were always there, since the beginning of the information boom. However, the magnanimity of their work has seen been a revelation of sorts. In today’s article, we take a look at the major trends that grip these services at present.

Managed IT Services: Major Trends

1. Big Data goes bigger

Sales initiatives, marketing, and engineering of many ambitious commercial organizations now depend on big data. Data and analytics are a huge part of every cornerstone decision taken by commercial entities.

The volumes of data are now so large and varied in nature that the traditional methods of storing and processing them may no longer apply. While it is true that the data tsunami can make spotting trends a lot easier, the backend computing becomes a lot more difficult. This is a major reason most corporates are willing to pay huge for managed IT services in hospitality industry.

2. More virtualization in IT

The manner in which companies are calling for greater virtualization of computing is interestingly sharp. With virtualization, single hardware pieces function like they were separable machines. The major benefit of this is that companies can now scale up the infrastructure of the server without any additional hardware purchase.

Virtualization takes down energy costs and server-clutters. When executed effectively along with other managed IT services, virtualization can play a major role in reducing costs and easing out administration.

3. The cloud becomes larger

Despite the odd gaffe in security, cloud computing continues to be the go-to vault for several small and large businesses. Members of the workforce can easily access information and system processes 24x7x365.

With the cloud, organizations can easily add more productivity to their equipment and systems while reducing any significant overhead costs. Cloud service providers can give you an easy and effective alternative to purchasing expensive systems and servers.

4. And cuts into the mainstream

China and Taiwan have emerged as the two major hotspots of white box servers. These have swiftly made their way into corporate data centers and onto clouds as well. A custom-configured stripped down and no-frills attached cloud management service is the end-result.

Now white boxes are offering cloud management services at a significantly lower cost, making them the go-to choice for entry- level entrepreneurs who could care less for brands.

5. Security gets tighter

The social, mobile and cloud have made IT more mainstream than ever. And those who have looked at security through narrow lenses are now forced to reconsider security of information. To start with, it is already a major priority for any managed IT services provider.

With time, the encryption level that companies adhere to has become more robust and impenetrable. As the social, cloud and mobile platforms become more innovative, protecting the sanctity of information stored in them, will become a greater necessity.

The world has embraced cloud computing. And there is no looking back. Yet, we stand in the face of a steady barrage of cloud computing challenges that mostly affect small and mid-size business. In order to come over these challenges, it is paramount that these be identified first.

The present cloud computing challenges are mostly a repeat of the ones we were facing about a year back. However, there has been some shift in the overall percentage figures. Here’s a look at some recurring challenges.

Want of expertise

For a long stretch of time, security continued to be one of the most articulately voiced cloud computing challenges. However, it was in early 2016 that the lack of expertise moved a few inches ahead. As the cloud technology keeps advancing rapidly, a greater number of organizations have started placing more workload on clouds. This gives the organizations a run for keeping up with all the required tools.

Also, there is continuous growth in the need for advanced expertise. These challenges can only be alleviated with advanced training of the developmental and IT staff.

Security Issues

For long, security has been the primary (and valid) concern while storing data in the cloud. In the cloud, the end user is unable to track the exact folder or location where their data is stored or processed. A wreck of headlines highlighting mammoth data breaches with millions of compromised accounts and even online bank thefts have done little to alleviate concerns about security.

All of these have cumulatively made it extremely difficult to trust a third party with sensitive and confidential personal data. So as of now, security continues to be one of the stiffest cloud computing challenges we have.

Managing and limiting costs

If implemented and handled well, cloud computing can save money for businesses. Organizations can easily shrink their processing capabilities without fresh investment in hardware. Public cloud providers also offer businesses to pay as they go for extra processing requirements. But, the same scalable and on-demand nature of services in cloud computing make it difficult to project and define costs and quantities.

While there are quite a few ways to keep costs in check, it is important that businesses plan for expenditure even before they subscribe to a service.

Control and monitoring

IT governance should make sure that assets are executed and implemented as part of policies mentioned in the agreement of use. One of the key cloud computing challenges faced by organizations is that the cloud computing strategy tends to go astray and does not support their organizational strategies in entirety.

To deal with the control over access, it is vital that there is a solid policy in place. It is equally important to update the policy in view of new challenges.